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First Read of Maupassant Short Stories - Unimpressed

Let me first just say that I'm quite passed the stage in my life where I in any way think my opinion is an accurate judgement of the actual worth of a piece of art. That being said, I can't change what I like and what I don't like, and after reading a collection of short stories by Guy de Maupassant, I have to say I didn't really like them. Here's the list of stories I read (from the Wordsworth Classics edition):

Boule de Suif
Two Friends
Madame Tellier's Establishment
Madamoiselle FifiClaire de Lune
Miss Harriet
The Necklace
Madammoiselle Pearl
The Piece of String
Madame Husson's 'Rosier'
That Pig of a Morin
Useless Beauty
The Other Orchard
A Sale
Love
Two Little Soldiers
Happiness

Of these stories, the only ones I rally enjoyed were "Boule de Suif," "The Piece of String," and "The Other Orchard."

The biggest problem I had with the stories and most of them were so damn depressing. I'm not usually one to shy away from dark tones in literature--I actually prefer them--but so many of these stories just end on complete downers, even the ones I like. The bad guys go unpunished, the good guy gets screwed, etc. It just got old. I get that that's a realistic way of telling stories, and it'd be equally as boring if they all ended happily, but a bit of justice now and then would have been nice. And the depressing endings weren't really my main issue; it's that the endings were usually completely uninteresting. So many times the stories would end in such an obvious way--it's like Maupassant didn't even try to think of an interesting ending. Some of the stories didn't even seem to have an ending at all, they just petered out. I don't want some twist ending every time but, come on, give me something.

Maybe my expectations were set too high p, though I don't think that's unjustified as all I've heard about Maupassant is that he's one of, if not the, best short story writer of all time. These stories left me completely unimpressed. I know there was a lot of symbolism that I didn't pick up on (I could of, but I wasn't reading analytically--I rarely do when reading on my own for pleasure), so maybe reading from that perspective would've helped. It could have also been the translator (I've looked everywhere and can't find who it is in my rather cheap edition), but even a bad translation won't change the plot.

Though I do not believe I have read any of the stories listed about, I have to say that I love Maupassant, he is one of my favorite French writers among those I am familiar with. I think his writing has a lyrical beauty to it, and I love his humor. I think he is a great satirist.

I think I will agree that he is overrated... I have only read a couple of his short stories, and while I think they were good, they're definitely not my cup of tea. I enjoyed 'The Necklace' but I would never say it is one of the best stories, or one of my favorites...

"All gods are homemade, and it is we who pull their strings, and so, give them the power to pull ours." -Aldous Huxley

"Sooner murder an infant in its cradle than nurse unacted desires." -William Blake

Maupassant is a favourite of mine and I have read much of his work over a number of years. I first read him in a bad translation but I'm glad it didn't put me off going on to read him in the original. There are a couple of things useful to remember when reading this writer: first, he is quintessentially French and the ambiance of his stories, which are virtually all set in France, is very evocative of La Belle Époque : as are Zola's of the Second Empire. Secondly, he is credited with 300 short stories and obviously some are going to be better than others, but it is in his novels that he comes to the fore and, similarly, they vary in quality, but Bel Ami and Une Vie are worth anyone's time.

I think maybe I was expecting something different--I wasn't expecting the depressing tone at all. I bought the Oxford collection of stories (which has a Tom that aren't in the diction I read) because I want to give him another try. I think next time I'll like him more since I know what he's all about.

I read Bel Ami, and like his short stories, I didn't dislike it but wasn't wowed by it either. I do find it funny how some people laud his novels as his best work while just as many, of not more, claim his best work lies in his short story writing.

I think maybe I was expecting something different--I wasn't expecting the depressing tone at all. I bought the Oxford collection of stories (which has a Tom that aren't in the diction I read) because I want to give him another try. I think next time I'll like him more since I know what he's all about.

I read Bel Ami, and like his short stories, I didn't dislike it but wasn't wowed by it either. I do find it funny how some people laud his novels as his best work while just as many, of not more, claim his best work lies in his short story writing.

I think it's important to know that Maupassant died of syphilis after being committed to an asylum for the insane. It may have been as a result of the onset of his condition that his work has depressing overtones: they certainly manifest themselves more strongly towards the end of his life when he started writing weird hallucinogenic stories of the horror genre. Some years ago, I visited his grave in the Montparnasse cemetery in Paris and there were still flowers being left there by admirers of his writing.

I agree with Emil's earlier suggestions in particular Bel Ami. I just loved this novel. Have you read any Chekhov short stories? I don't think I have read any that weren't brilliant.

Last edited by Neely; 05-06-2012 at 06:14 PM.

Oscar Wilde(1854-1900).

I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.
Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.
Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.

The Horla is just up there with Turn of the Shrew or Black Cat as a brilliant psychological horror story. He may be very irregular, specially considering the ammount he wrote, but that is a rule for short story writers, they risk all in a few pages, so when it is unworth, just throw away. Maupassant is just one of those guys who can do it.